Camarones Embarazados (Adobo Grilled Shrimp)
Published Aug. 4, 2021
- Total Time
- 1 hour, plus cooling and marinating
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 1pound ripe tomatoes
- 4dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
- 2 to 3dried chiles de árbol, stemmed
- 3garlic cloves, peeled
- 2scallions, white and light green parts only, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1teaspoon dried oregano
- ½teaspoon ground allspice
- ½teaspoon ground cumin
- ½teaspoon dried thyme
- 2tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2ounces Mexican chocolate (see Tip), grated
- 1teaspoon coarse kosher salt, more for seasoning
- 2pounds large head-on shrimp or headless shrimp, with or without shells
- Lime wedges, for serving
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)
173 calories; 6 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 2 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 8 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 6 grams sugars; 24 grams protein; 376 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
In a medium saucepan, combine the whole tomatoes, guajillo chiles, chiles de árbol and garlic cloves, and cover with water by an inch or two. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium and simmer until the tomatoes are very soft and their skins start to break, 8 to 10 minutes. (The chiles should rehydrate and plump up.) Using a slotted spoon, transfer the solids to a blender, and add the scallions, oregano, allspice, cumin, thyme, vinegar, butter, Mexican chocolate and salt. (Discard the cooking water.) Purée until completely smooth, then scrape the adobo into a large bowl and let cool completely.
- Step 2
Place the shrimp in the bowl with the cooled adobo and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.
- Step 3
When ready to eat, take the shrimp out of the refrigerator. Prepare an outdoor charcoal or gas grill for direct grilling over high heat. Thread the shrimp onto skewers and place on a sheet pan. If using head-on shrimp or shell-on shrimp, insert the skewer where the head meets the body, thread the skewer through the body while straightening it out, then push it out through the tail end. If using peeled shrimp, thread the skewer through the tops and bottoms of the shrimp without passing it through the length of the bodies. Once all are skewered, generously douse the shrimp with more adobo (reserve some for serving) and sprinkle a bit of salt on top.
- Step 4
Scrape the remaining adobo into a small saucepan or skillet and set over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and continue simmering, stirring constantly, for 3 to 4 minutes. Scrape into a serving bowl and set aside.
- Step 5
Set the skewers on the hot grill grate. For head-on shrimp, cook, flipping once, until the shells have crisped, browned and achieved some charring, and the bodies have cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes per side. For headless shell-on shrimp, grill for about 3 minutes per side, and for peeled shrimp, about 2 minutes per side. (If using a gas grill, close the lid between flips.)
- Step 6
Transfer the skewers to a platter and serve with the reserved adobo sauce and lime wedges. Let everyone eat by dipping the shrimp in the adobo sauce and squeezing fresh lime juice on top. The shrimp can be eaten in their entirety — heads, shells, tails and everything in between — or peeled.
- If you can’t find Mexican chocolate, substitute 2 ounces grated bittersweet chocolate mixed with ½ teaspoon granulated sugar and a pinch of ground canela or ground cinnamon.
Private Notes
Comments
Superb recipe. It's good to see advocacy for eating all the shrimp rather than discarding shells & head in the belief that they're inedible. (For the still- squeamish, save these to make a quick stock after cooking in oil or butter +salt. Noodle shops in NYC's Chinatowns do this, using it as a base for seafood soups. (You can also cook rice in it.) Chocolate may seem weird, but it's also part of molé sauce, and a little bit (along with coffee) adds desirable complexity to chili.
For those of us unwilling or unable to prepare the sauce, perhaps buy a small can of chipotles (smoked jalapenos) in adobo sauce, and chop a couple of them up finely, mix with some of the sauce, add some of the other spices in the recipe, and make do.
I haven't born to Puerto Vallarta in decades and can't recall how they do it, but generally speaking shrimp shells, especially the larger ones, are not palatable when cooked on the barbecue. Asians and Italians eat the shells when the shrimp are deep-fried, which breaks down the structure of the shells and turns them into a sort of potato chip. Also, the adobe marinate will not penetrate the shells so the flavor won't infuse the meat. Better to peel them first (leave the heads on).
The sauce/marinade, which my husband made, was DELICIOUS and I’d been meaning to use my dried chilis forever. But the shrimp themselves were inedible. The shell is not edible cooked this way and nearly impossible to remove. I’m not squeamish about most things but I couldn’t choke these down. Super disappointing.
We used fabulous large prawns with heads, and the marinade really soaked through everything giving great flavor. Substituted whole canned tomatoes for fresh, and it worked out just fine. We grilled these, and they were so full of sauce, no extra sauce was needed. For my taste there was not really much heat to speak of, so for those that cannot take anything too spicy, don't be afraid to try this recipe!
I haven't born to Puerto Vallarta in decades and can't recall how they do it, but generally speaking shrimp shells, especially the larger ones, are not palatable when cooked on the barbecue. Asians and Italians eat the shells when the shrimp are deep-fried, which breaks down the structure of the shells and turns them into a sort of potato chip. Also, the adobe marinate will not penetrate the shells so the flavor won't infuse the meat. Better to peel them first (leave the heads on).
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